“Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him”  (Genesis 40:23).

The chief butler had offended the Pharaoh. They put him in prison, the same dungeon where Joseph was. Now Joseph was a Hebrew, accused of a crime he did not commit. But because the Lord was with him, the keeper of the prison had put all the prisoners under Joseph’s supervision. On his first night in prison, the Egyptian butler had a dream. He asked Joseph what it meant. Joseph said he would explain the dream with the help of God. Then Joseph interpreted the butler’s dream, telling him Pharaoh would release and restore him. The butler promised to mention Joseph’s innocence to the Pharaoh if he was released. Three days later, Joseph’s interpretation of the dream came true, and the chief butler was released and restored to his place in the Pharaoh’s court.

Joseph was now sure that he had a friend in the court who would speak to the Pharaoh and tell him of his innocence. But weeks passed into months, and there was no word from the chief butler. The butler could not have completely forgotten Joseph. But he was doubtlessly afraid to appeal his case to Pharaoh. It might anger Pharaoh and get him put back in prison. Or maybe there was another reason. The chief butler forgot Joseph. If Joseph had harmed the butler, the man would not have forgotten him. But because Joseph had helped him, he quickly forgot. “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (Genesis 40:23).

What a picture of ingratitude! How common it is for depraved mankind to be unthankful! The butler was a man who forgot to be thankful. That is an increasing characteristic of people in these evil days. The Apostle Paul said,

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (II Timothy 3:1-2).

“Disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” What a description of this generation in the “last days”! The chief butler pictures many people today, “yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (Genesis 40:23). This is a generation that is “unthankful” and “unholy.” There are three main areas where many young people forget to be thankful.

I. First, many are unthankful to their parents.

The Bible says, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” It says that two times in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) and six times in the New Testament (Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2). That commandment is given without any conditions. It doesn’t say, “Honour thy father and thy mother if they were good to you.” No, it says to honour them. When you see a crying baby taken up in its mother’s arms, does it remind you that your mother did that to you? Have you ever thought of what your mother did for you, changing your dirty diapers, watching over you, washing and ironing your clothes, feeding you your meals, praying for you, waiting up for you when you came in late, worrying and thinking about you as her precious treasure?

When was the last time you told your mother that you love her? When was the last time you thanked your father for raising you? Unthankfulness to parents is a wicked and cruel thing in children. “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”

II. Second, many are unthankful to friends and benefactors.

Jesus healed ten lepers and sent them to the priests to declare that they were cleansed. But only one of them returned to give thanks to Jesus. The Saviour said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger” (Luke 17:17-18).